Titanium Sands Ltd (ASX:TSL) has had a high-grade resource of 32 million tonnes at 7.45% total heavy minerals (THM) defined on the proposed mineral sands acquisition tenure at Mannar Island, Sri Lanka.
This provides a boost to TSL as it advances the acquisition and not only increases the scale of the project immediately but also adds substantial resource extension and exploration potential.
Adjoins existing resource
The resource adjoins the 52 million tonnes at 6.7% THM inferred resource already defined on the adjoining TSL Mannar Island tenure.
With ongoing resource drilling programs and a scoping study in progress, TSL is rapidly advancing the expanding high-grade, technically robust and substantive long-life Mannar Island mineral sands operation.
Managing director James Searle said: “The Mannar Island project has already delivered a 300% increase on its maiden JORC resource and we will continue to rapidly increase our resource base with the proposed tenure acquisition.
“The immediate priority is completing the due diligence investigations on the proposed tenure acquisition and we look forward to updating the market further on this and our ongoing RC aircore drilling programs.”
2% lower cut-off
The mineral resource estimation on the proposed acquisition was undertaken by Kobus Badenhorst of Geo Activ Pty Ltd – a geological consultant registered with the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions.
A 2% lower cut-off is considered appropriate for this inferred resource estimation in that it maintains satisfactory continuity of the resource zone.
This early-stage project is not likely to be inconsistent with the economics of mining and treatment of shallow, surface-exposed high-grade slow silt mineral deposits.
The resource envelope extends continuously as a 2-kilometre-wide zone over 8 kilometres through the main body of the acquisition tenure.
Resource drilling extends only to the water table at depths of 1 to 3 metres and the mineralisation remains open at depth.
TSL is drilling lateral and depth extensions to the project’s existing resource using its own specially modified RC aircore drilling rig as well as beginning a comprehensive scoping study for the project.